Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercises <12/02/08>
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From: MsMonarchdancer on 2 Dec 2008 19:41 Progressive Muscle Relaxation Progressive muscle relaxation is one example of a deep relaxation technique that can be used to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and certain types of chronic pain. Based upon the simple premise of tensing, or tightening, one muscle group at a time followed by a release of the tension, this form of relaxation is used by physicians (in combination with standard therapies) for a number of conditions, including headaches, cancer pain, high blood pressure, and digestive disturbances. This form of muscle relaxation is progressive in two senses. Firstly, the muscle groups are tightened and relaxed one at a time in a specific order, generally commencing with the lower extremities and ending with the face, abdomen, and chest, although other sequences have been used by some practitioners. Secondly, a greater degree of muscle tension is attempted in subsequent exercises as compared with beginning efforts as one gains experience with the technique. The technique of progressive muscle relaxation was described by Edmund Jacobson in the 1930s based upon his premise that mental relaxation should naturally result from physical relaxation. Like the Relaxation Response pioneered by Herbert Benson in the 1970s, progressive muscle relaxation can be learned by nearly anyone and requires only 10-20 minutes per day. You may practice this technique seated or lying down in a completely quiet place free from all distractions. The individual muscle groups are tightened for 5-8 seconds and the tension is then released. While releasing the tension, try to focus on the changes you feel when the muscle group is relaxed. Imagery may be helpful in conjunction with the release of tension; you can try to imagine stressful feelings flowing out of your body as you relax each muscle group. You should stay relaxed for 15-30 seconds and move on to the next muscle group. In addition to its stress-reduction and health benefits, progressive muscle relaxation is an excellent tool to help learn about the body and its signals. With practice and time, you can learn to accurately identify tension signals in your body and actively work to reduce stress and tension and their accompanying physical reactions. http://stress.about.com/cs/relaxation/a/aa110600a.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ How to Create a Serene Sacred Space "Sacred Space" is a special place you can retreat to and spend time alone in quiet meditation or retrospection. Here are a few helpful ideas for creating an indoor sanctuary. Difficulty Level: average Time Required: 25 to 45 minutes Here's How: Choose an area within the interior of your home for your "Sacred Space" (a spare bedroom, a revamped pantry area, a corner space, etc.) Clear this space of stagnant energies by performing a ritual smudging (cleanse with smoke from burning sage wand). This should also be repeated periodically after you begin using your sacred space Consider your personal comforts and each of your senses in choosing the suggested furniture and articles to fill this space. Comfort: floor cushions, a gentle swaying rocker, or perhaps a stuffed chaise to stretch out in. Sounds: wind chimes, water fountains, CDs & player, a hand-carved wooden flute. Taste: peppermints for mental clarity, calming herbal tea blends, cinnamon red hot candies to awaken the taste buds. Smells: scented candles, incense, freshly cut sprig of lavender. Visual: mirrors, posters, paintings, artwork, altar. Touch: objects with a variety of textures such as crystals, feathers, sea shells, woven cloths, teddy bears, etc. A window placement within the space is especially welcome to allow fresh air and sunshine for healing and happiness. Tips: Once your space is ready, honor it by making your presence there often. Set boundaries by deciding who else, if anyone, is allowed in your Sacred Space. Keep a supply of colored pens and notebooks if you want to maintain a journal in your Sacred Space. http://healing.about.com/library/howto/ht_sacredspace.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ How to Relax and Ground Your Body Grounding exercises help tremendously with maintaining a balance of our physical and spiritual bodies. This particular exercise can serve as an excellent tool for identifying physical stresses and upsets. Difficulty Level: average Time Required: 25-60 minutes Here's How: Lay down comfortably on a bed or massage table. Bring your thoughts from its busy mental chatter downward by focusing on your feet. Notice the soles of your feet, your toes, in-between your toes, the top of your feet. Do they feel hot? or cold? Do they hurt? Are they numb? Do you feel your blood circulating through them? Are they feeling tired? Once you have a made a strong connection with your feet, you may then move your focus upwards to your ankles. Notice, but don't judge how the different parts feel. For example, when you wiggled your toes, how did that feel? Gradually shift your focus now to your lower legs, onto your knee caps, behind your knees, your thighs and upward. Keep reminding yourself not to rush. Allow yourself to breathe throughout the exercise, especially as you come to any areas of discomfort (stressed muscles, soreness, etc.) or at any spot that feels like there may be an energy block. Once you have moved through your torso and up to your neck drop back to your fingertips. Move to the hands, up your arms and shoulders, returning now to your neck. Finish up with your face and scalp. Tips: Don't rush this process. Take your time moving upwards to each part of your body. Do not touch yourself. Just allow your mind to switch focus from wherever it is and mentally consider your body's sensations. Do this exercise while laying down is recommended, but for anyone who tends to fall asleep quickly upon hitting the pillow sitting upright in a chair may be preferable. http://healing.about.com/library/howto/ht_ground.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Basic Guided Relaxation: Advanced Technique Article by L. John Mason, Ph.D. This guided relaxation exercise is taken from exercises from Dr. Mason's best selling book, Guide to Stress Reduction. A version of this technique is found on most of the guided relaxation tapes/CD's found at the Stress Education Center's Tapes/CD's page. Please find the one that is best for your specific requirements. Look in the health series, if you have symptoms of stress. For the best results, have someone read this guided relaxation slowly to you, with appropriate pauses. You can also read this exercise into a tape recorder and then play it back to yourself when you want to relax. Remember, this exercise will work best for you with regular daily use and repetition over time. (4-6 weeks to see positive change and 8-12 weeks of regular use for the maximum benefits to begin.) Good health and enjoy your relaxation! Start of relaxation. Begin here. When you are ready to begin, start by getting yourself into a comfortable position in a space where you will not be unnecessarily disturbed, for about twenty minutes. As you sit back or lie back more comfortably, check to see if your arms and legs are in a relaxed uncrossed position. Let your shoulders release tension and let your neck begin to relax by letting your head just sink back comfortably into the pillow or chair. Check the muscles of your head and face, especially the muscles around your eyes, even your eye brows, and the muscles around your mouth, including your jaw and even your tongue. Before we begin, let me remind you that I do not want you to try to relax too quickly. In fact, I do not want you to try to relax at all! Because without any effort you will be able drift as deeply into relaxation as you wish to go, by just letting go of stress, thoughts, and physical tensions. To begin, start by taking three deep slow diaphragmatic breaths...pausing after you inhale, and then exhaling fully and completely. You might even imagine that as you exhale you can begin to release thoughts, tensions, even discomforts with the warm breath that you breathe out and away. (pause) After these first three slow breaths, then continue to breathe slowly, but naturally. Perhaps you can feel yourself taking another step deeper into relaxation and comfort with every exhalation. As you breathe slowly and naturally, please turn your attention to the relaxation that may be beginning in your arms and down into your hands. If you look very carefully, you might feel a slight difference, where one of your arms might be just a bit more relaxed than the other. It might be just a subtle difference, but one arm might feel slightly heavier, as if the muscles in that arm were more loose or more flexible. Or perhaps, one arms feels slightly warmer, as if, blood and energy could flow more freely and easily all the way down that arm... as if it were flowing down, through wide open blood vessels, and slowly, but freely, pulsing down into the hand and fingers. (pause) Or perhaps, both of your arms are equally relaxed, and that would be perfect as well. The only thing that matters is that you continue to breathe slowly and naturally, and perhaps you can begin to feel yourself drifting deeper into a dreamlike state where you can feel greater calmness and comfort, and where you begin to develop even greater awareness and control. As you continue to breathe slowly and gently, perhaps you can begin to become aware of the relaxation that may be starting down into your legs and feet. If you were to look very carefully, you might become aware of a slight difference, where one of your legs might be a bit more relaxed than the other. You might also find that one leg feels slightly heavier, as if the muscles in that leg were more loose or flexible. Or perhaps, you may find that one leg feels slightly warmer, where the blood and energy can flow more freely and easily, all the way down that leg, through wide open blood vessels, and you may feel it slowly but freely pulsing down into your foot and toes. (pause) Or perhaps, your legs feel equally relaxed, and that would be perfect also. The only thing that matters is that you continue to breathe slowly and gently, and allow yourself to drift deeper into this dreamlike state of calmness, comfort, and control. Perhaps you can feel the control growing stronger as you feel yourself just beginning to sink back into what ever you are sitting or lying upon, as the tensions just begin to melt away. Even the muscle of your back can begin to relax even better. You may feel the muscles of your back begin to soften or loosen as you slowly breathe away any unwanted tensions. The relaxation can begin to spread to the other muscles of your back, even spreading up into your upper back and your shoulders. Perhaps your shoulders can drop down into a more comfortable position. And you may feel the control growing stronger as you can begin to feel your head just sinking back, completely supported by the pillow or the chair, as your neck begins to relax even better. Even the muscles of your head and face can relax even better. Perhaps you can imagine yourself as if you were outdoors on a warm and pleasant day. You imagine that you are standing near a pond of water, where the water is calm and clear, and the surface is smooth. You may even be able to feel the warmth of the sunlight or of the warm breezes... Perhaps you can imagine, that if you were to drop a rock or a stone into the water, you could watch as the waves or the ripples spread across the surface of the pond in every direction. And perhaps you can imagine that you can send soothing and cleansing waves of relaxation down from the top of your head, in every direction, to soothe, heal, and cleanse every muscle and cell of your body. You might imagine that these waves can begin to drift down to relax the muscle at the top and sides of your head... Or you might feel the waves drifting down to relax your forehead even better... letting it go calm and smooth. The soothing waves of relaxation can wash down to relax the muscle around your mouth, even your jaw can loosen a bit better. The waves of relaxation can slowly spread down to soothe and relax the muscles of your neck and shoulders... and you may begin to feel them drifting down through your arms... slowly drifting all the way down... perhaps you can even feel the waves slowly pulsing down into your hands and fingers. (pause) Or you can feel the waves slowly drifting down through your back and your chest... You may even feel that your breathing is more calm and regular... Or you may feel that your heartbeat is more calm and regular... As you breathe slowly and freely, you may even be able to feel your stomach and abdomen beginning to let go and to relax more freely. Your lower back and pelvic area can begin to relax even better... The waves of relaxation can begin to spread down your legs... slowly drifting all the way down and out through the bottom of your feet, or perhaps you can feel the waves of relaxation slowly pulsing down into your feet and toes... Now, just as if you were watching this pond of water, it can once again become calm and still. The water can begin to settle, to become calm and clear. Even the surface can once again become calm and smooth. You may wish to turn away from the pond and to follow a pathway that takes you to a perfect place... a place where you can be by yourself, and feel calm and comfortable. Once you arrive there, you can look around to find the most comfortable place to lay down. As you drift over to that spot, you just sink back into whatever you would be sitting or lying upon. As you settle back, perhaps you can even feel the warmth of the sunlight gently shining down on you. You can begin to soak up the warmth as the tensions just melt away. You may even be able to hear the sounds that may surround you. Like the sounds of running water, or the sounds of birds, or of the warm breezes. Perhaps you can even imagine that you can smell the fragrance of salt air, flowers, grass, or of the woods that may surround you. Imagine that you can begin to soak up the warmth from the sun. Perhaps you can even imagine that you can begin to breathe in the sunlight and warmth. As you fill with this warming, healing light and energy, remember that as you relax, there will be an increase of blood flowing more freely and easily to every cell of your body. Every cell will be bathed in an increased supply of oxygen and nutrients. Every cell will be able to soak up the perfect amounts of these nutrients to help to heal and recharge each and every cell. As the cells begin to fill health and happiness, you can continue to drift in this peaceful state of calmness and relaxation... Though you remain calm and comfortable, perhaps you begin to see yourself healing fully and completely... You may even be able to see yourself in perfect health, smiling and celebrating in the sunshine on this warm and beautiful day. You may be able to see yourself being active, as if you were smiling, or playing, celebrating, or dancing... Remember that every time you practice this exercise you will be able to get better at it. You will be able to relax more deeply and more completely. You will be able to let go more quickly. And the effects of the calmness and comfort will last longer, carrying over throughout your day, enabling you to be more calm and efficient with your available time and energy. If you are using this exercise at bedtime, or if you wish to drift off to sleep now, then you can begin to do so. If you wish to drift off to sleep now, then continue to breathe slowly and gently, focus on the relaxation in your arms and your legs... and drift off into a deep and restful state of sleep where you will be able to rest fully and completely. When you awaken you will be fully rested and alert. So if you wish to drift off into sleep then you can do so. If you wish to awaken now, then you can begin to do so. If you wish to awaken now, then you can begin to see yourself returning to this room, bringing the feelings of calmness and comfort back with you to a more fully waking state. If you wish to awaken now, then you may wish to feel the bed or the chair beneath and slowly awaken, letting the feelings of calmness, comfort, health and joy return with you to a fully waking state. If you wish to awaken now, you may wish to take a deep breath, letting the calmness, comfort, and relaxation return with you to a fully waking state. And you may wish to take another deep breath and stretch, becoming wide awake, feeling refreshed and alert. L. John Mason, Ph.D. http://www.dstress.com/guided.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This mental "journey inside the body" can be used at the end of a PMR course (progressive muscle relaxation) or as a "stand-alone" relaxation exercise. It takes about 4 minutes. The notes underneath the instructions originally were meant as a lead for myself (or any trainer) when reading the instructions to a group. The exercise is done sitting upright on a chair with both feet flat on the ground. To get some support sitting upright you might push your bottom into the back of the chair. At the end of the exercise the eyes are kept closed for a short while. You breathe in deeply and move the fingers and toes playfully. You breathe in deeply again and stretch yourself. After breathing in deeply a third time the eyes are opened. This breathing and stretching serves to reactivate the circulation. There is no order to actively relax the parts of the body which you are focussing on. Just perceiving passively does the trick! Simply let the relaxation response happen as it comes! Exercise: a journey on the inside Resting (30 sec.) Sit down relaxed keeping an upright position. Close your eyes and enjoy the rest. (15 sec.) Accept any perceptions such as noises from the outside as well as thoughts which appear spontaneously, but let them pass by again. Don't ponder on them. Try not to start daydreaming. (5 sec.) When anything important comes to your mind simply make a mental note of it so you can come back to it later. Then let the thought pass by like any other thoughts, ideas, or perceptions.. (10 sec.) Perceiving the hands (40 sec.) Now lead your attention into the right arm and eventually into the right hand. Your attention is completely devoted to your right hand: how does it feel - warm or cold? dry or damp? heavy or light? How does it lie there, where do you perceive pressure? (15 sec.) Next lead your attention into the left arm, mentally travelling down to the left hand. How does your left hand feel? warm or cold? dry or damp? heavy or light? How does it lie there, where do you perceive pressure? (15 sec.) Possibly you can feel your pulse in the fingertips.Check how your left hand feels compared to the right. (10 sec.) Perceiving the feet (40 sec.) Now lead your attention into the right leg and eventually into the right foot. Your attention is completely devoted to your right foot: how does it feel - warm or cold? dry or damp? How does it touch the ground? Are the toes stretched out or crooked? (15 sec.) Next lead your attention into the left leg and eventually into the left foot. Does it feel - warm or cold? dry or damp? How does it touch the ground? Are the toes stretched out or crooked? (15 sec.) Compare how both feet feel. (10 sec.) Perceiving the face (20 sec.) Devote your attention to your face: Are the eyes closed lightly or do you feel a pressure? How does the jaw feel - relaxed or tense? Do the lips touch gently or do you press them together? (25 sec.) Complete inside journey (60 Sec.) Now conduct a mental journey through your body. Start visiting your hands again, then lead your attention to the face, next to your neck and shoulders, to your abdomen and back, eventually reaching the feet again. (60 sec.) Conclusion (50 sec.) Now terminate your exercise still keeping the eyes closed. (20 sec.) Breathe in deeply and move the fingers and toes gently (10 sec.) Breathe in deeply again and stretch yourself. (10 sec.) Breathe in deeply a third time and open your eyes. http://www.airdisaster.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-66424.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic Instructions Relaxation is the opposite of tension. The following exercise can be a tool for you to use to control tension and enhance relaxation in both your body and your mind. It will probably be most useful to you if you or a friend would tape record the following exercise and listen to it rather than to just try to read and remember the various parts of the exercise. Read the exercise slowly with pauses to allow the relaxation to occur. If you do make a tape for yourself, please remember to use it only when you are sitting or lying comfortably at home or where you are not needing to be involved in an activity requiring you to be fully alert. Do not use the tape while operating any kind of machinery, including cars. One of the main activities suggested in this exercise involves alternatively tensing and relaxing muscle groups. Put enough tension into the muscles to make them tense, but not enough to cause pain. Feeling pain means that you are tensing too much. Tension Reducing Exercise Settle back and get as comfortable as you possibly can. Close your eyes gently. Tune in to your breathing. (Pause) Notice it's pace and rhythm. (Pause) take another breath, a little deeper this time, letting yourself feel completely calm, peaceful, comfortable and relaxed. (Pause) Now , with the rest of your body feeling more and more comfortable and relaxed, slowly clench your right fist. Clench it tighter and tighter and study the tension. Keep it clenched and feel the tension in your fist, hand, and forearm. (Short Pause) Now let your hand relax and go limp, allowing your fingers to become loose. Notice the contrast between the feeling of tension and now the feeling of relaxation. (Short Pause) Let your whole body go and relax even more completely. (Short Pause) Now bend both of your elbows and tense your biceps. Tense them hard until they almost quiver. Hold them tight and study the tension. (Short Pause) Now let your arms straighten out and drop gently to your sides. go limp, feeling heavy and relaxed. Notice the tension leave your muscles and experience relaxation that replaces the tension. Let the feeling flow and spread into the rest of your body so that you feel peaceful and calm. Feel yourself becoming more and more relaxed. (Pause) (From this point onward, pause where it seems appropriate to allow enough time for the tensing and relaxing to occur.) Focus all your attention on your neck, your shoulders, and your upper back. As you breathe, imagine that you are releasing tension from your neck, shoulders, and upper back. With each breath you take, feel your neck, shoulders, and upper back grow heavier and more and more relaxed. As you release tension in your arms, neck, shoulders, and upper back, feel the wave of relaxation moving downwards through your torso, lower back and stomach. With each breath, you become more and more relaxed. Now tighten and flex the muscles in your buttocks and thighs. You can flex your thighs by pressing down on your heels with your toes in the air. Hold the tension. Keep the muscles tight and tense. now let go. Relax and notice the difference as you let your hips and thighs relax and allow that feeling to proceed on its own until you feel completely and deeply relaxed. Now press your toes straight out away from your body as if you were on tiptoes. Feel the muscles in your calves become taught and tense. Hold the tension. Study the tension and now relax. Feel the difference between the tension and the delightful, calm, peaceful feeling of being deeply relaxed. Feel the heaviness of your entire lower body as you relax further still. If you wish, you can become even more deeply relaxed by merely taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. As you breath deeply, feel your entire body become heavy, comfortable and relaxed. Think the following thoughts to yourself: "I feel quiet. I am feeling deeply relaxed. My body feels calm and quiet. My neck, my jaws, my forehead are all calm and smooth. My whole body is heavy, comfortable, relaxed, and quiet. My arms and hands are heavy and warm. I am at peace." (At this point, give yourself a few more minutes of deep relaxation before moving on toward ending the relaxation session.) (Ending the experience) Take a deep breath, wiggle your toes and open your eyes. when you do so you will feel refreshed and calm. Enhancing the Experience You can practice deepening this feeling of relaxation by taking deep breaths and releasing tension with each exhalation and imagining a wave of relaxation moving from the top of your head to the ends of your toes. As you become aware, through this exercise, of different muscle groups and how deliberately you can control the experience of tension and relaxation in your muscles, you increase your capacity to relax. In similar fashion, each time you practice this relaxation exercise you will find it more familiar and easier to use. http://www.counsel.ufl.edu/brochure.asp?include=brochures/relaxation_exercise.brochure ~*~You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it~*~ ~~Atticus -- ========== Please DELETE this text block when replying! ========== Contact the moderators at: asapm-board(a)stump.algebra.com The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm ========= This notice is added to each approved article ========== |